Cómo el Bienestar Organizacional Inspira el Desempeño: Lecciones del Sector de Cambio Social Cómo el Bienestar Organizacional Inspira el Desempeño: Lecciones del Sector de Cambio Social

Stories from the Hearth

Publicación invitada de:

Ricardo Paz

People & Culture Elder, The Wellbeing Project
🌍 Bogotá, Colombia

Lectura rápida

  • The Wellbeing Project, junto con ocho organizaciones de todo el mundo, el Instituto Tavistock y el Center for Healthy Minds estuvieron cinco años investigando el valor del bienestar organizacional y cómo fomentarlo.

  • Aprendieron que cualquier organización, pública o privada, puede beneficiarse de promover el bienestar organizacional: mejora el desempeño de los empleados, lo que se traduce en un mejor desempeño organizacional.

  • Además, todos estuvieron de acuerdo en que era menos costoso invertir en el bienestar organizacional que no hacerlo.

  • Cultivar el bienestar organizacional es un proceso continuo, dinámico y de largo plazo, pero el valor agregado para los empleados, su organización y su comunidad vale la pena.

Ricardo (izquierda) habla en Hearth Summit Bogotá, compartiendo los hallazgos del Programa Exploratorio Organizacional (OEP) de The Wellbeing Project.

En mayo, tuve el placer de presentar en el Hearth Summit Bogotá, que se centró en el bienestar y los negocios sostenibles. En este evento, la sostenibilidad se exploró de tres maneras: 

Trabajo sostenible: centrado en el bienestar de los empleados y el balance vida-trabajo

Negocio sostenible: centrado en la producción y el consumo sostenibles dentro de las empresas

Ecosistemas sostenibles: centrándose en cómo las empresas pueden tener impactos sociales y medioambientales positivos

La audiencia estaba formada por cientos de líderes del sector empresarial: directores ejecutivos, gerentes, expertos y otros se unieron en el Hearth Summit para tomar medidas colectivas y cambiar la cultura corporativa hacia una de bienestar y desempeño.

Me sentí agradecido de compartir los aprendizajes del sector social sobre cómo al promover el bienestar dentro de las organizaciones se conduce a un mayor desempeño.

No soy el único que piensa en la importancia del bienestar de los empleados: la Organización Mundial de la Salud ha clasificado el burnout como un problema de salud ocupacional dada la magnitud de casos presentados. Múltiples estudios en todo el mundo muestran un aumento del burnout en organizaciones de todo tipo. Gallup ha estimado las pérdidas globales por ausentismo, rotación y agotamiento en 322.000 millones de dólares. ¡Mil millones!

La situación es clara: las organizaciones deben centrar su atención en el bienestar de sus empleados. Pero ¿cómo pueden hacer esto?

En el Hearth Summit Bogotá, compartí los aprendizajes de un Programa Exploratorio Organizacional (OEP, por sus siglas en inglés) de cinco años que The Wellbeing Project cocreó con ocho organizaciones de todo el mundo: de Brasil, Canadá, China, Egipto, Mozambique, Pakistán, Senegal y Estados Unidos.

Con el Instituto Tavistock de Relaciones Humanas y el Centro para Mentes Saludables proporcionando apoyo en investigación y metodología, buscamos trabajar con estas ocho organizaciones para desarrollar un marco efectivo para apoyar el bienestar organizacional de manera participativa, basado en evidencia empírica.

Los aprendizajes de estas ocho organizaciones sociales pueden ser útiles para organizaciones de otros sectores, tanto públicos como privados, ya que comparten un mensaje común: el bienestar de los empleados de cualquier organización lleva a un mejor desempeño y, por lo tanto, a un mejor desempeño de las organizaciones y del ecosistema que las rodea. En resumen: el bienestar inspira el desempeño.

Pero ¿cómo pueden las organizaciones crear una cultura de bienestar? Compartí tres aprendizajes clave de OEP con agentes de cambio en Bogotá:

1. Crea tu propia definición y visión de bienestar.

La definición de bienestar organizacional puede ser muy diferente para una organización que para otra, así como a nivel individual. Por esta razón, es relevante hacer una definición de manera participativa con todos o la mayoría de los involucrados. Esto significa que será un proceso lento, de largo plazo, con una visión estratégica, de acuerdo con los retos, objetivos y entorno de cada organización.

2. Dar pequeños pasos, llegarás lejos.

De esta forma, es necesario centrarse en unas primeras y pequeñas acciones para avanzar poco a poco en un plan de trabajo que evidencie avances y refuerce la evolución de la organización. La idea es que, a la hora de tomar decisiones estratégicas, se tengan en cuenta las necesidades de las personas involucradas en todos los niveles de la organización.

3. Encuentra el “camino del medio”.

A veces, una organización se centra únicamente en lograr su misión y objetivos. En el otro extremo, existe la posibilidad de estar demasiado centrado en el bienestar de las personas. Las organizaciones que están muy enfocadas en su misión a menudo tienen una alta rotación de personal, bajos niveles de compromiso, hipersensibilidad a la desadaptación organizacional y una alta frecuencia de casos con burnout. En el otro extremo, en aquellos demasiado enfocados en el bienestar de las personas, hay dificultad para lograr la misión de la organización, las necesidades individuales están constantemente insatisfechas, sus responsabilidades no están claras y su energía se consume en tareas innecesarias.

Una tercera vía, una vía intermedia, se compone de un entorno en el que las personas están inspiradas por la misión y la estructura de la organización, se identifican claramente sus habilidades y competencias individuales, se tienen claras las responsabilidades de sus funciones y se les reconoce por sus contribuciones profesionales.

La conclusión

A través de la investigación de OEP, aprendimos que generar la capacidad de bienestar organizacional es un proceso de gestión del cambio de cuatro pasos:

Definición de objetivos,

Cocreándolos con todos los miembros,

Implementación, y

Aprendizaje constante.

Es un proceso lento, sin soluciones rápidas ni un enfoque lineal. Lo más importante es la dirección de los cambios más que los resultados inmediatos. Es importante que los líderes den el ejemplo también, y vimos tres factores fundamentales en la generación de esta capacidad de bienestar organizacional: Liderazgo, Comunicación y Mentalidad de Crecimiento.

¿Y la última pieza del rompecabezas? Estas ocho organizaciones sociales descubrieron que desarrollar su capacidad de bienestar organizacional era menos costoso que no hacerlo. 

Como dijo uno de los participantes del Programa de Desarrollo Interior de The Wellbeing Project: “Si no tienes bienestar en tu personal, ¿cómo puedes proporcionar bienestar en tu comunidad? Nadie puede dar lo que no tiene”.

Lo mismo ocurre con su organización. Ya sea que trabajes en una organización sin fines de lucro, una empresa o cualquier otro tipo de organización, el mensaje puede ser el mismo:

El bienestar inspira el desempeño: si estamos bien, lo haremos mejor.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Organizational WellbeingDiscover Organizational Wellbeing

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in their organizations.

How Organizational Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: Lessons From the Social Change Sector How Organizational Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: Lessons From the Social Change Sector

Stories from the Hearth

Guest post by:

Ricardo Paz

People & Culture Elder, The Wellbeing Project
🌍 Bogotá, Colombia

Quick Reads

  • The Wellbeing Project, along with eight organizations from around the world, the Tavistock Institute, and the Center for Healthy Minds spent five years researching the value of organizational wellbeing and how to foster it.
  • They learned that any organization, public or private, can benefit from promoting organizational wellbeing: it improves employee performance, which translates into improved organizational performance.
  • They also all agreed the approach was cost-beneficial: it was less expensive to invest in organizational wellbeing than otherwise.
  • Cultivating organizational wellbeing is an ongoing, dynamic, and long-term process — but the value added for employees, your organization, and your community are worth it.

Ricardo (left) speaks at Hearth Summit Bogotá, sharing findings from The Wellbeing Project’s Organizational Exploratory Program (OEP).

In May, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Hearth Summit Bogotá, which focused on wellbeing and sustainable business. At this summit, sustainability was explored in three ways: 

Sustainable work: focusing on employee wellbeing and work-life balance

Sustainable business: focusing on sustainable production and consumption within businesses

Sustainable ecosystems: focusing on how businesses can have positive social and environmental impacts

The audience was filled with hundreds of leaders from the business sector: CEOs, managers, experts, and others joined together at the Hearth to take collective action and shift corporate culture towards one of wellbeing and welldoing.

I was grateful to share learnings from the social sector about how promoting wellbeing within organizations leads to greater welldoing.

I’m not the only one thinking about the importance of employee wellbeing: the World Health Organization has classified Extreme Burnout as an occupational health problem given the magnitude of cases presented. Multiple studies around the world show an increase in extreme burnout in organizations of all kinds. Gallup has estimated global losses from absenteeism, turnover, and burnout at $322 billion. Billion!

The situation is clear: organizations must turn their attention to the wellbeing of their employees. But how can they do this?

At Hearth Summit Bogotá, I shared learnings from a five-year Organizational Exploratory Program (OEP) that The Wellbeing Project co-created with eight organizations from around the world – from Brazil, Canada, China, Eygpt, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, and the United States.

With the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and the Center for Healthy Minds providing research and methodology support, we sought to work with these eight organizations to develop an effective framework to support organizational wellbeing in a participatory way, based on empirical evidence.

The learnings from these eight social organizations can be useful for organizations in other sectors, both public and private, as they share a common message: the wellbeing of the employees of any organization leads to their improved performance and, therefore, the improved performance of the organizations and the ecosystem that surrounds them. In short: wellbeing inspires welldoing.

But how can organizations create a culture of wellbeing? I shared three key learnings from OEP with changemakers in Bogota:

1. Create your own definition and vision of wellbeing.

Defining organizational wellbeing can be very different for one organization than for another, as well as at the individual level. For this reason, it is relevant to make a definition in a participatory way with all or most of those involved. This means it will be a slow, long-term process, with a long-term strategic vision, according to the challenges, objectives and environment of each organization.

2. Take small steps – they go far.

In this way, it is necessary to focus on a few first and small actions to advance little by little in a work plan that evidences progress and reinforces the evolution of the organization. The idea is that, when making strategic decisions, the needs of the people involved at all levels in the organization are considered.

3. Find the “middle way”.

Sometimes, an organization is focused solely on achieving its mission and goals. At the other extreme, there is the possibility of being too focused on people’s well-being. Organizations that are very focused on their mission often have high staff turnover, low levels of commitment, hypersensitivity to organizational maladjustment, and a high frequency of cases with extreme burnout. At the other extreme, in those too focused on people’s wellbeing, there is difficulty in achieving the organization’s mission, individual needs are constantly unsatisfied, their responsibilities are unclear and their energy is consumed in unnecessary tasks.

A third way, a middle way, is made up of an environment where people are guided by the mission and structure of the organization, their individual skills and competencies are clearly identified, the responsibilities of their roles are clear, and they are recognized for their professional contributions.

The Bottom Line

Through the OEP research, we learned that generating organizational wellbeing capacity is a four-step change management process: 

Defining objectives,

Co-creating them with all members,

Implementing, and

And constantly learning.

It is a slow process, without quick solutions or a linear approach. What is most important is the direction of changes rather than the immediate results. Leadership by example is also important, and we saw three fundamental factors in generating organizational wellbeing capacity: Leadership, Communication and Growth Mindset. 

And the final piece of the puzzle? These eight social organizations found that developing their wellbeing capacity was less expensive than not doing so. 

As one of the participants of The Wellbeing Project’s Inner Development Program said, “If you don’t have wellbeing in your staff, how can you provide wellbeing in your community? No one can give what they don’t have.”

The same is true for your organization. Whether you work in a non-profit, a business, or any other type of organization, the message can be the same:

Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: if we are well, we’ll do it better.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Organizational WellbeingDiscover Organizational Wellbeing

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in their organizations.

Teaching, Learning, and Co-Creating Teaching, Learning, and Co-Creating

The Science of Wellbeing x Regional Hearth Summits

How does wellbeing “work”? What can we learn from ancient wisdom and contemporary research? The regional Hearth Summits are on a journey of head and heart — fueling a curiosity for the science of wellbeing!

Around the Hearth, leading academics, researchers, elders, topic experts, and holders of traditional wisdom serve as guides to:

Bring intellectual depth to the transformative experience of the Hearth Summit

Encourage a holistic understanding of wellbeing that respects different types of knowledge

Share best practices, methodologies, and case studies

Unite qualitative and quantitative sources of knowledge

Spark new, multi-disciplinary, and cross-cultural ideas and innovations

With plenaries, collaborative dialogues, workshops, and interactive sessions, changemakers are equipped with key knowledge about how wellbeing works and why — helping to inform their work as drivers of social transformation.

Discover what changemakers are learning at the Hearths around the world. For more research on wellbeing, visit our research hub.

UNDERSTANDING WELLBEINGUNDERSTANDING WELLBEING

“Whoever teaches learns in the act of teaching, and whoever learns teaches in the act of learning.”

Paulo Freire

COMPASSION, ALTRUISM, AND ECONOMICS

WITH PROF. DR. TANIA SINGER

In Brussels, Prof. Dr. Tania Singer, a world expert on empathy and compassion, led changemakers on a journey from inner work to a more caring economy by explaining how motivation psychology and neurobiology can inform economic models. In fostering pro-social behaviour, she explained, we can enable the impactful collaboration needed to solve our world’s biggest problems, such as climate change, social injustice, and economic inequality. The research offers decision- and policy-makers a new look at how the individual and the collective interact in order to create more sustainable macro-economic environments.

EMOTIONS, HEALING, AND PEACEBUILDING

WITH DR. OLGA KLIMECKI

In Brussels, Dr. Olga Klimecki (pictured above right), Senior Researcher at the University of Geneva, spoke on two panels to bring a neuroscience perspective to conversations on healing and peacebuilding. Citing a new research project from the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, she explained the growing understanding of the role emotions play in conflict resolution. Through a mix of behavioural and neuroscientific experiments with field studies in conflict areas, the work seeks to aid and inform peacebuilding and diplomacy efforts.

HEALTHY MINDS AND WELLBEING

WITH DR. RICHARD J. DAVIDSON

In Bogotá, Dr. Richard J. Davidson from the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison shared his pioneering research on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and how they relate to inner and organizational wellbeing. His work explores how brain function is related to wellbeing and mental health, particularly through the study of contemplative practices such as meditation. Through neuroimaging and behavioural techniques, his research captures the neuroplastic changes that occur and thereby enhance emotional resilience, reduce stress, and promote positive health outcomes.

Neuroscientific Dimensions of Wellbeing

SESSION AT Hearth Summit São Paulo

In São Paulo, Dr. Raquel Tatar, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Center for Healthy Minds, shared the dimensions of wellbeing as seen through a neuroscientific lens. Take a deep dive into how the brain works and influences wellbeing, as well as the emerging Healthy Minds Framework. Watch the session (in Portuguese).

ARTS AS THERAPY

WITH ALESSANE SECK

In Dakar-Thiès, art therapist Alassane Seck shared learnings from Fann Hospital, where the Moussa Diop psychiatric clinic is home to Senegal’s first arts therapy programme. Alassane opened the L’Atelier d’EXpression (“The Expression Workshop”) in 1999 aiming to provide holistic care to the clinic’s patients. Engaging with the arts can help alleviate symptoms of many psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, cognitive impairment and dementia, and autism, in an alternative, non-pharmaceutical approach.

In the specific case of L’Atelier d’EXpression, Alessane explained that only does the programme help patients self-reflect, understand their emotions, express themselves, it also helps shift cultural attitudes towards mental illness in Senegalese society. The participants’ art creations are also often exhibited in various forums and exhibitions, including the regional summit hosted by Tostan, promoting social inclusion and empathy while sharing the story of mental health with wider audiences.

NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES

WITH RUBAIYA AHMAD

In Dhaka, animal welfare activist and educator Rubaiya Ahmad led a workshop on nutritional sciences for changemakers, explaining the physiological relationship between diet and mental health. Conversations about inner wellbeing are incomplete without considering one’s physical wellbeing, she said, as she covered topics such as nutrition, physical exercise, and emotional relationships with food.

As the founder of Bangladesh’s first vegan eatery, The Bangu Vegan, she also shared the human and environmental benefits of eating plant-based foods. She also explained the cultural relevance of plant-based diets in Bangladesh, noting the presence of vegan and vegetarian elements in many authentic Bengali dishes.

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

WITH BRAC INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In Dhaka, a team from BRAC Institute for Educational Development (BRAC IED) introduced changemakers of all ages to Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL). In the hybrid session mixing instruction and interactive play, participants learned the basics of SEL and how its five core competencies — self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making — relate to fostering wellbeing individually, collectively, and in the workplace. Through games and reflective conversations, the session also looked at how these competencies are taught, exercised, and perceived in Bangladeshi culture.

EXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF WELLBEING FURTHEREXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF WELLBEING FURTHER

Dive Into Research and Knowledge From Around the World

Wellbeing Wisdom From India: An Interview with Dr. Mala Kapadia on Intergenerational Trauma and Ecological Belonging Wellbeing Wisdom From India: An Interview with Dr. Mala Kapadia on Intergenerational Trauma and Ecological Belonging

A CONVERSATION WITH:

Dr. Mala Kapadia

Director, Anaadi Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Anaadi Foundation
🌍 Tamil Nadu, India

What can traditional Indian Knowledge Systems teach the world about wellbeing?

Dr. Mala Kapadia, director of the Anaadi Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems at the Anaadi Foundation, shares knowledge and practices from the Indian sciences of Ayurveda, Yoga, Aesthetics, and Poetry, around Ecological Belonging and intergenerational trauma.

Watch the full video for her teachings, or read the highlights below.

“In India, I realized that the ideal could be that India becomes the voice for humanity — where you see the vibrancy of people practicing Ayurveda, practicing Yoga, living their civilizational, cultural values, which is slowly happening post-pandemic. It is slowly happening.”

WHAT ARE THE SCIENCES OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA AND HOW DO THEY RELATE TO WELLBEING?

Ayurveda, as they describe it, is a manual of life skills. It’s not just a medicinal system. It’s Veda- knowledge of ayu. Ayu is life. Ayurveda actually describes Life, and the beauty of Ayurveda is that it is for everyone. It’s not only for Indian people. It’s not for the people from a certain region, but the Sages talked about humanity at large. They say that our life has purpose and meaningfulness and to achieve that, there are paths, right?

The path begins with dharma, a Sanskrit word coming from the etymology  Dharayati Iti Dharma. Meaning, anything that sustains you, holds you together, is dharma. I feel it’s a beautiful way to look at our life. It’s only psychology that has taken more than 200 years to reach positive psychology where Martin Seligman and others are talking about meaningfulness. And here there are sages many, many millennia ago who wrote about how life has to be meaningful for us to be healthy and happy. They describe life as Hita, beneficial to self and others, because they always saw life as a continuum: we and the Cosmos, we and everyone else, are interconnected. And only when we are leading a life which is interconnected and integral, can we be happy. And happiness is, not the pursuit of happiness that we understand today in a modern language, but it’s all about the State of Being. With the wellbeing crises that we see today, I realize that Ayurveda beautifully connects the wellbeing of the planet and wellbeing of an individual.

With the wellbeing crises that we see today, I realize that Ayurveda beautifully connects the wellbeing of the planet and wellbeing of an individual.

WHAT DO AYURVEDA, YOGA AND OTHER INDIAN SCIENCES TELL US ABOUT NEUROSCIENCE, EMOTIONS, AND HEALING?

What Yoga, Ayurveda, and the science of Aesthetics are talking about is being rediscovered and not just rediscovered, it’s being validated scientifically by some modern theorists. Today a lot of scientists talk of neurotransmitters, et cetera, but they look at only the brain. If you revisit our biology or anatomy from a Yogic perspective, our physical body that can be seen and studied or x-rayed is one reality, but we are also energy sheets.

So we are still stuck learning biology and anatomy from a Newtonian or Cartesian perspective dividing body and mind. But what is mind? People are still struggling to understand it. While in Ayurveda and Yoga, the body-mind continuum is very beautifully described. We have seven chakras, the major chakras, and many minor chakras. And I’m glad today chakra, like mantra and dharma, is a word in Western vocabulary as well. These are what Georgetown University neuroscientist Candace Pert talks about nodal points of neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters on those nodal points of the chakras are either blocked or they are open. So when they are blocked, naturally the energy flow is restricted and therefore the energy or Prana does not reach those organs which are connected with those nodal points. She was one of the, I think, first Western scientists to say that body and mind is a continuum.

HOW CAN THIS KNOWLEDGE HELP US WITH HEALING FROM TRAUMA?

So when I go back to Yoga and Ayurveda as ancient sciences as I said, “If we all are integrated, we all are connected, then my energy and the world’s energy is somewhere merging together, right?” Energy, we all know, cannot be created or destroyed. It needs to be transformed. So when we look at trauma, trauma is an energy block as I see it personally. If it’s a blocked energy, then which chakra is it impacting? Is it impacting your security? Is it impacting your relationships? Is it about your power or victimhood? Is it about your heart experiencing gratitude or is it about your heart experiencing a closed xenophobic existence where you switch on to a survivalistic mode? This is what scientifically people talk about trauma and the response to trauma as fight, flight, or freeze. But that fight, flight, freeze is not just limited to the brain. It travels all over the body. So, if my mind is in every cell of my body, then my trauma response is also coming from every cell in my body. It’s not only a cognitive skill.

This is where Yoga and Ayurveda come into play because they have a lot of practices which can help you dissolve these traumatic emotional imprints without wanting to bring them up to the brain, which is not able to cope.

And they can be dissolved with a lot of Ayurvedic treatments, Ayurvedic lifestyle guidance meditations and Yogic lifestyle. And when I say Yoga, it’s not just exercise or breathing exercises or physical postures. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, one of the oldest texts of Yoga talks of Yama and Niyama, which are the behavioural codes at the individual level and collective level. So unless we practice them, doing breathing exercises and doing postures will not give us results.

DO INDIAN SCIENCES TELL US HOW INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA AND ECOLOGICAL BELONGING ARE CONNECTED?

In all ancient indigenous cultures, I found one thing common is, apart from being connected with nature, they’re also connected with their ancestors. Our history, our ancestors, are living within us, not just genetically, but psychologically and spiritually. Ancestor healing is a major ritual in most of the indigenous cultures, including India. In India, we have birth charts. The moment you are born, depending on the time of the birth, a birth chart for every child is created. Most of the birth charts have a problem with ancestors. It’s called Pitru Dosha. Pitru are ancestors and Dosha is some problem. Now, obviously, we really don’t know what our ancestors were going through, right? Beyond a certain generation, we don’t even know our ancestors.  And we don’t even know what their life was. We don’t even know what trauma they went through. But whatever their trauma, we have inherited it and the trauma of Mother Earth. That’s also an ancestral trauma. There are a lot of rituals connected with the five elements – the element of sky or ether or Akaash; the element of air or Vayu; Fire; Water; and Earth – because many ancient indigenous cultures believe that the entire universe and our body all are made up of these five elements. 

WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN INDIAN PRACTICE ONE CAN DO TO WORK ON INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE HEALING?

One ritual we have is ending all the prayers with saying, “Shanti hi, Shanti hi, Shanti hi.” Shanti means peace. Why do all prayers end with saying peace three times? Just one time could have been enough. The three “peace” is invoking peace at three levels: one, individual, me and myself; two, collective, which is the community around me, society, Nature around me, my nation; and three, the global level and Universal level. 

Today, when there are wars happening, when there is so much destruction happening, when there is so much human suffering, working on peace and giving it priority is very important. I realized that, unfortunately, most of the Western researchers define peace as an absence of war or conflict. Peace is not seen as a positive construct in itself, which is there in India. In Indian literature, in Indian philosophy, peace is a positive construct. Health is a positive construct. Health is not as opposed to disease and peace is not opposed to war or conflict. So, if peace is a construct in itself, how do you arrive at it? How do you actually start experiencing peace from within? And chanting mantras, chanting simple Om, is one way.

Why do all prayers end with saying peace three times? The three “peace” is invoking peace at three levels: one, individual; two, collective ; and three, the global level and universal level. 

YOU’RE DESCRIBING HOW MODERN SCIENCES ARE “VALIDATING” TRADITIONAL SCIENCES. DOES THIS MEAN THEY ARE THE SAME?

We talk of ancient or indigenous wisdom at one level and modern at another. And a lot of people have this misconception that ancient is outdated and modern is more scientific, or modern is the complete know-how. Unfortunately – or fortunately – we realize that what is ancient is being rediscovered by many modern theorists. So we as humanity, we just have to take a U-turn and go back to our own cultural roots, civilizational roots. I realize that most of the indigenous cultures, they were connected and rooted in nNature. I’ve been to Hawai’i. I’ve met some of the Kahunas, the wisdom holders. And one of the Kahuna, I still remember, she held my hands and she said, “You are one of us.” I realized that she felt that and I felt that because of the Mother Earth. We could have lived in different lifetimes. We could have lived in different geographical locations, but ultimately, it’s all One.

I’ve been to Hawai’i. I’ve met some of the kahunas, the wisdom holders. And one of the Kahuna, I still remember, she held my hands and she said, “You are one of us.” I realized that she felt that and I felt that because of the Mother Earth.

IN FACING OUR 21ST CENTURY CHALLENGES, WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK SPIRITUALITY AND THIS ANCIENT WISDOM CAN PLAY IN THE SOLUTIONS?

The industrial revolution has uprooted people from nature. Nature has become a resource to be used and exploited. People became a resource that needs to be used and exploited and we didn’t realize that we ourselves became this resource. This trauma needs to be addressed because today, corporates have to wake up to the spiritual aspect, which is not a philosophical aspect, it is a practical aspect. Most of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are far away from being met. 

When we are spending so much money on sustainability goals, climate change, et cetera, what we don’t realize is, we just need to bring back that foundation of spirituality, Dharma, in everything we do. And the moment that foundation comes back, everything will fall into place. Right now, we have lost the bigger picture. We are all struggling with pieces of puzzles, trying to fit them here and there. But spirituality is like a bigger picture, and without looking at that bigger picture, we are not able to fit in those pieces of the puzzles.

mala-kapadia-headshot

About Mala

Dr. Mala Kapadia is a highly accomplished scholar and practitioner with a distinguished career spanning research, education, journalism, human resources, and consulting. She is a passionate advocate for integrating ancient Indian wisdom with modern approaches to wellbeing, leadership, and organizational development. Dr. Kapadia is currently the Director of Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, at the Anaadi Foundation and the Principal Investigator for a Ministry of Education (India) Indian Knowledge Systems Research Project on Wellbeing and Happiness based on Ayurveda. Mala is also a Guru participating in Grateful to Gurus, an initiative by Indica Academy, in which she inspire young minds in ancient wisdom. She is also a member of the Advisory Council of Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems at Chanakya University, Bengaluru, India.

About the Anaadi Foundation

Anaadi Foundation is a spiritual organisation founded in 2015 and located near Palani in Tamil Nadu, India. With key focal areas on Education, Culture, Wellbeing and Sustainability, the Anaadi Foundation focuses on imparting Indian Knowledge Systems through various initiatives including Dharma Gurukulam, IKS-funded projects, publication of books, and training programs. The Anaadi Foundation provides various programs aimed at physical, emotional, and cognitive stability. These include the Mouna Sadhana program, which integrates asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana, and Bhagavad Gita sessions. The foundation actively engages in sharing and preserving the depth of Indian culture, sciences, and values.

Want to know more about trauma and its impacts?

Watch the first virtual convening in our webinar series hosted by The Wellbeing Project and the Collective Change Lab. You can also visit our new hub for research and stories on intergenerational trauma. Together, we explore how we can move from trauma-informed to healing-centered ways of working for systemic change.

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in IndiaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in India

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in India.

Cultivating Hope Cultivating Hope

Supporting Changemaker Wellbeing

Studies consistently show that when people working for social change feel balanced, they can make a bigger difference. Prioritizing the wellbeing of all changemakers has the potential to amplify transformative change.

Cultivating Hope: Supporting Changemaker Wellbeing is a series of conversations hosted by Rohini Nilekani with leading philanthropists. Together they explore how the pressing funding gap for changemakers’ to have access to wellbeing resources is holding back progress both now and for future generations. 

MELINDA FRENCH GATES X ROHINI NILEKANI

Watch The 7-min Cut Of  The Conversation Between

MELINDA FRENCH GATES X ROHINI NILEKANI

Studies consistently show that when people working for social change feel balanced, they can make a bigger difference. Prioritizing the wellbeing of all changemakers has the potential to amplify transformative change.

Cultivating Hope: Supporting Changemaker Wellbeing is a series of conversations hosted by Rohini Nilekani (Season 1) with leading philanthropists. Together they explore how the pressing funding gap for changemakers’ access to wellbeing resources is holding back progress both now and for future generations.

This 7-minute cut is a recollection of our favorite highlights from the conversation!

CATCH GLIMPSES FROM THE CONVERSATIONCATCH GLIMPSES FROM THE CONVERSATION

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Philanthropy x Changemaker Wellbeing